Santa Barbara is a slice of heaven with its picturesque pueblo roof tops, clear skies most of the year, and pristine beaches. Located along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Santa Barbara lounges by both the Pacific Ocean and Santa Ynez Mountains. It’s the optimal city for any nature enthusiasts as hiking, cycling, surfing, kayaking — just about any adventure sport — reigns king here.
Particularly for water sport lovers, you’ll find a wide array of beaches to choose from in this beach town. There’s beaches with beautiful hiking trails nearby leading to overlooks of the ocean, dog-friendly beaches, beaches great for surfing and others great for kayaking.
I’ve lived in Santa Barbara for over 6 years, so below you’ll find a curated list of the top beaches I loved while living in the city. Take a day trip from LA or add these beachy gems to your Santa Barbara bucketlist.
What to pack for a day trip to the beach
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If you’re traveling to Santa Barbara, California here are a couple items you may want to throw in your bag.
For the road trippers — road trip essentials are your friend! Pack comfy shoes to wear in the car, blankets, pillow, travel snacks, sunscreen, Bluetooth speakers, and more. After you’re road trip travel essentials are packed, bring beach towels or opts for travel towels which are light weight, absorbent and fast drying. We’ve been eyeing this beach travel towel, as its sand-free which means no sand in your food or face!
Then, toss in any beach gear like chairs, bring a volleyball, soccer ball or spikeball (which is a great competitive beach sport to play).
For those flying in — try to pack lighter weight items, especially if you’re only traveling with a carry on. Think travel towels, travel-ready sunscreen, sunglasses, snacks, Hydro Flask and a deck of cards/card games.
Carpenteria State Beach
Best for: camping, tidepools, bluffs, fishing and sunset walks
Before entering the city of Santa Barbara, pop by one of the neighboring cities — Carpenteria. Only 11.5 miles away (about a 15 minute drive) is another beach that’s ideal for any camping enthusiasts. Here you’ll experience the serenity of the ocean plus the adventures of camping.
Carpenteria State Beach features plateaus, bluffs, tidepools, a mile-long beach, fishing, camping and much more. Inside the state beach there’s a total of 216 campsites for tents, RVs and trailers. It’s fairly easy to reserve a campsite, but consider booking early with ReserveCalifornia during the peak camping season.
Hendrys
Best for: walking dogs, evening walks, quiet beach vibes, romantic walks, sunset walks, and swimming
Hendrys Beach is overall one of the best beaches in Santa Barbara and my personal favorite!
First off, its tucked away along the cliffs and attracts more locals than tourists. While it can get crowded during summer, its typically one of least crowded beaches because its further away from downtown. Secondly, it’s the best beach for lounging around, taking a leisurely stroll or walking a furry friend.
At Hendrys Beach you’ll also find a popular restaurant called the Boathouse, which sits right next to the water. It’s a prime spot for brunch while taking in a scenic view. Also just above Hendrys Beach, nestled on the cliff is the Douglass Family Preserve. It’s a popular stop for locals to go on nature walks and it offers a scenic yet romantic glimpse of the beach during sunset. Can’t tell you how many times Evan and I, or various friends spent summer nights admiring the reddish sunset from here.
East Beach
Best for: playing volleyball, spikeball, swimming and located downtown
Are you into outdoor sports? If you answered yes, East Beach is your beach. Here you’ll find numerous well maintained beach volleyball courts, equipped with nets. Get there early as this beach is quiet popular for it’s central location downtown.
Sometimes there are tournaments going on, parties, pick up games, or college students enjoying their Saturday morning here. Towards the water, you’ll also find people playing spikeball, so if you can’t snag a net, bring spike ball instead!
West Beach
Best for: Biking, skating or walking on the trail, rent a surrey bike, Santa Barbara Pier and located downtown
West Beach is also located downtown and it’s right next to East Beach (hence the name, super clever right!). This beach has a well-maintained trail that’s popular for biking, skating, walking and renting a giant 4-person surrey bike. It’s one of my favorite beaches for experiencing downtown Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Harbor.
While it’s not the most popular for swimming, feel free to take a dip in the ocean or head to the pier called Stearns Wharf! Grab some ice cream at The Great Pacific Ice Cream Company or enjoy some food at another eatery featuring spectacular views of West Beach and the vast ocean.
Leadbetter beach
Best for: Visiting the waterfront, restaurants near the water, kayaking, paddle boarding, surfing, close to Stearn’s Wharf and skateboarding
Just past West Beach lies Leadbetter Beach — home of the water sports. It’s the best beach in Santa Barbara for anyone wanting to experience the waves from a different perspective. On the waterfront, you’ll find eateries, boats, places to rent kayaks for one or two persons, and stand up paddle boarding.
The beach has a great ambiance for picnicking and barbecuing, and it’s at the tail end of the bike path from West Beach. Here you’ll find ample amounts of longboarders, skateboarders and skaters.
Also, Leadbetter Point is the most popular area for surfing with its mellow yet rich-wave scene. It’s located at the bottom of the Leadbetter Hill offering some picturesque views of the cliffs above.
Shoreline Beach
Best for: playgrounds, walking and biking trail, sunset views, and lookout points
Continue on the bike path from Leadbetter Beach, up the monstrous Leadbetter Hill and you’ll arrive at Shoreline Beach Park. Unlike other beaches in Santa Barbara, this area is a beach park surrounded by grassy areas overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Walk up and down the trails, stopping at some of the expansive viewpoints to take in the beauty of Santa Barbara. From here you can see Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara Harbor, the pier, and surfers taking in the tide.
Keep in mind this is a park, so it’s extremely family-friendly with playgrounds and restrooms. It’s also dog-friendly. There is beach access from here, leading down to One Thousands Steps Beach. The dilapidated stair case steeply winds down the side of the mesa to the beach, so be careful.
Butterfly Beach
Best for: watching the sunset, quiet beach days, beach walks, and lounging on the beach
For those wanting to spend the day lounging on the beach, Butterfly Beach offers the perfect beach escape, as its location is quite deceptive. It’s located just one city over from Santa Barbara in Montecito, California.
While the surrounding community is pretty upscale, Butterfly Beach is another local favorite. It’s tucked away and not as accessible for most tourists, only those coming from the neighboring ritzy Channel Drive. This drive is stunning and you’ll find the most breathtaking rosy sunsets at this beach.
Stay the day sleeping in the sand, go for a sunset walk or grab drinks at the gorgeous Four Seasons Biltmore.
El Capitán State Beach
Best for: camping, sunset walks and hiking
Another popular beach in Santa Barbara for camping is El Capitán State Beach. In fact, there’s only three beaches with campgrounds in the Santa Barbara area (El Capitán, Refugio State Beach Campground, and Carpenteria State Beach). While it’s technically located in Goleta, California, it’s only 17 miles west of Santa Barbara.
It’s popular amongst locals and tourists for its supreme hiking, camping, surfing, picnicking and more. Beautiful nearby hikes include:
- Gaviota Wind Caves (moderate difficulty level) Round trip it’s a 2.5 miles hike with a steep climb in elevation, showcasing giant caves and scenic views of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
- Bill Wallace Loop (6.8 miles; moderate difficulty level)
- El Capitán to Refugio State Beach via the Aniso Trails (5.5 miles; easy difficulty level)
Additionally if you’re big on camping, make sure to check out other stunning camp sites found throughout Southern California. There’s campgrounds at Joshua Tree National Park (ideal for stargazing and scaling giant boulders), several spots near the Los Angeles area, and sites near Big Bear Lake.
Overall you can’t go wrong with any of the beaches in Santa Barbara if you’re short on time. Each offer different experiences, so plan accordingly.
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